‘UPA`s oil price hike justification misleading’

Dehra Dun: Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh
on Monday accused the UPA of misleading public by justifying hike
of petroleum products prices on the ground that prices of
crude oil in the international market has also increased.

"The UPA government has increased prices of petrol seven
times in the past 13 months. The prices of diesel, kerosene
oil and cooking gas have also been increased, putting a huge
burden on the common people," he said addressing a public
rally at Haridwar, 55 km from here.

"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia
Gandhi are misleading people by saying that it had to increase
the prices as the prices of crude oil in the international
market has also gone up," Singh, the election in-charge of
Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, said.

The rally kick started the election campaign in
Uttarakhand where Assembly polls are due early next year.

The BJP leader said despite being poorer than us, petrol
is comparatively cheap in neighbouring Pakistan, Bangladesh
and Srilanka than that of India as these nations have managed
to control the prices of petroleum products.

Singh said our economist Prime Minister Manmohan Singh`s
grip over the country`s economy has loosened and the Congress
will have to give answer to the people as to why the inflation
always goes up when they come in power.

The former BJP chief also alleged that the Centre is not
making sincere effort to bring back black money stashed in
foreign banks.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, who
was also present, accused the Centre of meting out step-
motherly attitude towards the state.

The Centre scrapped the Concessional Industrial Package
to the hill state given by the Atal Behari Vajpayee
government, lowered the quota of foodgrains and cooking gas
and also delaying sanctioning of various projects, he said.